Wood burning fireplace inserts with blowers provide home warming heat for a fraction of the cost of heating with oil or electricity. Wood heat is warmth that you can feel deep in your bones. Burn wood to stay warm & save money.
The average cost of a wood fireplace insert installation in 2024 is $6,800 – $9,200. (Average price includes typical wood fireplace insert, venting and labor.)
If you have the space to store and season firewood, then wood burning is a life-changing heating option for your home. We started The Stove Shop in 1977 because my grandfather was so in love with his wood stove.
Best Wood Fireplace Insert 2024:
Vermont Castings Montpelier II Cast Iron Wood-Burning Insert
Vermont Casting’s Montpelier-II wood fireplace insert is our favorite for 2024.
Beautiful, reliable wood heat made in America.
- Timeless cast iron styling with a furniture-quality finish
- Heats 1,000-2,400 sq ft with 56,000 BTUs, based on climate and home efficiency
- Comes with a variable speed blower fan to better distribute heat throughout your space
- Conveniently burn up to 20” logs
What does a new wood fireplace insert installation cost in 2024?
The average cost of a wood burning insert with the venting and typical labor in 2024 is $6,800 – $9,200. This average price largely depends on your chimney condition and fireplace insert model selection. (Wood Burning Pro Tip: The average cost of a cord of wood in 2024 is about $320 in Pennsylvania.)
Installation price largely depends on the condition of your existing chimney flue, height of chimney, choice of fireplace insert model. The chimney condition should be your number one concern when installing a new woof fireplace insert. Get a Level 2 inspection from a Chimney Sweep Institute of America (CSIA) authorized professional as your first step to determine viable next steps.
Wood fireplace inserts installations cost a bit more than gas fireplace insert installations. Expect to spend a bit more money on a wood fireplace insert than most other installation types due to the strict safety requirements and difficulty of installation. Compare to a gas fireplace insert’s average cost of $6,200 – $7,800 in 2024, for example.
What are the steps to purchasing a new, safe wood fireplace insert installation?
- If you want to get a wood fireplace insert, first get a level 2 chimney inspection from a reputable chimney sweep with CSIA or NCSG certification.
- Then, choose a wood fireplace insert at a local authorized NFI dealer. There are many quality wood fireplace insert brands including Vermont Castings, Blaze King, Osburn and Quadra-Fire. We love Vermont Castings because it is a high quality, American-made product. Plus, we were the first fireplace shop to sell cast iron VC stoves in 1979.
- After choosing a brand, take three separate pictures of the fireplace installation location. One up close, a wide view and an outdoor chimney photo. Bring the pictures with you to an authorized dealer of the brand you choose and inquire about which wood fireplace inserts will fit your fireplace. OR Determine which unit you like and what will fit by reading the installation manual, the taper of your fireplace is often the major consideration because you have to fit a power cord behind the wood fireplace insert.
- Get an estimate from the authorized dealer. Scheduled an installation as long as your Level 2 chimney inspection is still valid. (After completing step 1, do not use the wood fireplace again until the new wood fireplace insert is installed.)
- Get a new wood fireplace insert installed in your masonry fireplace. Enjoy wood heat, save money and stay warm.
- Sweep your chimney once per burn season or every 2 cords depending on what comes first.
FAQ: “How do I get my fireplace to radiate more heat?”
Wood Burning Fireplace Inserts provide powerful heat that make your favorite room even cozier. Inserts seal off inefficient masonry fireplaces that suck all of the heat from your home. In general, fireplace inserts across all fuel types make your fireplace radiate more heat into your home.
What kind of inserts can replace my existing wood fireplace?
Fireplace inserts come in many shapes and sizes. Manufacturers like Vermont Castings, Blaze King, Heat & Glo, Osburn and Quadra-Fire make high quality fireplace inserts across many fuel types. Fireplace inserts can burn natural gas, propane gas (lp), pellets, wood, electricity and (sometimes) coal.
Wood Fireplace Insert
- Wood fireplace inserts are a metal box with firebricks and have a door for loading wood.
- Wood inserts are efficient and simple. Wood always works, even without electricity.
Gas Logs in Fireplace
- Gas logs are not a gas fireplace insert.
- Gas logs have an open flame and get be vented or unvented.
- Gas logs are beautiful, but not efficient.
Gas Fireplace Insert
- A gas fireplace insert is sealed and uses gas.
- Gas inserts are easy to use with natural gas or propane.
Pellet Fireplace Insert
- A pellet fireplace insert has a door for cleaning the burn pot and loading pellets.
- Pellets inserts are great for folks who can’t be home to load a wood firebox, but want persistent heat throughout the day.
Electric Fireplace Insert
- Electric fireplace inserts are sealed and have a simulated flame.
- Often, electric fireplace inserts are more affordable without producing as much impactful heat.
See the Montpelier-II Wood Fireplace Insert in our Virtual Fireplace Showroom
All information provided should not be used for self installation of any hearth products including but not limited to fireplaces and stoves. DO not self install wood, pellet, electric or gas fireplaces, stoves, hearth products or fire producing products based solely on this information alone.
